The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-08-06
TEMPERANCE READING.
THE STRIPED PERCALE.
from Affiuence and High Social Position
to Poverty and Social Ostracism.

for warm weather"
have a penchant for soft voices,
and this was so sweet and low, with
such an undercurrent of sadness, 1
Involuntary turned to look at the
speaker.
1t was lady, rather tall, slender,
and fredericksburg but with the I'M
mistakable air of the true lady. despite
the somewhat worn garments. A
heavy mourning vail drawn to the
side toward me completely hid the
face.
The clerk flung piece of handsome
cambria on the counter, and, with
jerk, unrolled two or three yards, then
stood looking out of the window, while
he drummed with his fingers on the
piece of goods, with the rudeness pc
culiar to some of his class when wait
ing on shabby customer.
What is the price of this?" asked
the lady.
Zone dollar" replied the clerk,
CURLY, continuing his tattoo and
stare.
81 wish something less expensive"
said she, while her small black-gloved
hand wandered caressingly among
the satiny folds of the beautiful cam
brio.
This time the clerk threw down sew
eral pieces of coarse calico, and one of
black and white striped percale, ag-
gravating his rudeness by drumming
with his knuckles, and blowing through
his lips an air from some frivolous
opera.
The lady looked the goods over,
then asked if they had any thing diff
ferent.
''No! we don't keep large line of
cheap goods" replied the clerk, super
ciliously.
With sigh and some hesitation, as
though not suited. she ordered ten
yards of the striped percale. 1t was
measured off and done up, with the
same air of insolent Indifference that
had marked the mans conduct
throughout. The lady paid for it,
then turned to leave the store.
"Who is that?" 1 inquired, of the
friend | was accompanying on shop
ping expedition.
"Who; the lady in purple satin?
That is Mrs. Brown, the wife of the
great railroad king, and my friend S
face beamed with qualification as she
graciously returned the salutation of
the lady in purple satin.
NO, the lady ustleaving the store.
ooh! replied my friend, with quite a
change of manner. That's Mrs. Malon;
I'm quite surprised to see her. sup
posed she had left the city,"
''Mrs. Malon," 1 said; 1.-THE name
sounds familiar; have 1 ever met her?"
'Oh, yes; she was quite the rage
when you were here five years ago.
She was bride then, and some thing
of Il beauty, but was particularly adj
mired for her singing. Her husband,
Judge Malon, was one of our leading
lawyers. but he got to drinking dread
fully, and they have gradually fallen,
till society lost sight of them long ago. :"
was in Albany visiting the daughter
of an old friend, who unlike her estim-
able mother, was given entirely to
fashion and ostentatious display. 1t
was my second visit since her mar
riage to an elderly merchant prince of
that city. On my first, l met Judge
Malon and his charming bride, and l
now remembered how captivated
was by her lovely face and manner,
and her equisite and highly cultivated
voice. | had an indistinct recollection
Of hearing some one remark, that he
had been pretty wild, but his marriage
which was most romantic love af-
fair-had completely changed him.
Alas, for such changes
After our return to my friends home,
questioned her about the Malons, and
heard the oft told, but none the less
pitiful, tale of the loss of property and
social position, home and friends,
through intemperance; of the gradual
downfall, till the once brilliant and ad-
mired man was such wreck his most
intimate friends had cast HIM off; of
the suffering of the devoted wife, who
chung to him through it all, hoping
against hope, prefering poverty and
disgrace with him, to luxury and
friends without him. Said my friend,
in conclusion: "For quite while she
tried to keep up by teaching music,
but he got to be such sot. society was
obliged to drop them. The last time l
saw them was at Mrs. Bishops Easter
dinner he drank till he was in such
condition he had to be taken home"
"Where did he get his liquors? ~
asked.
"Of course it was on the table; peo-
pie like the Bishops always have wine
at dinner"
"And knowing the Judges failing
they placed the temptation deliberate
! ly before him."
"You can't expect people to be in
hospitable and set established social
customs aside because some person
chooses to make beast of himself"